


there's something to be said (about the colors in your head)

by ehj



Series: fsau verse [2]
Category: Runaways (TV 2017)
Genre: F/F, and enjoy this fsau slice of life, come forget about the slow burn for awhile, im taking tumblr prompts to get us through these trying times, so i thought why not put them on here for everyone to enjoy
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-11-19
Updated: 2020-01-18
Packaged: 2021-02-13 00:24:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 5,882
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21485314
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ehj/pseuds/ehj
Summary: fsau!verse oneshots and drabbles.
Relationships: Karolina Dean/Nico Minoru
Series: fsau verse [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1548652
Comments: 21
Kudos: 322





	1. @deanorustan32134

**Author's Note:**

> okay first prompt from today comes from tumblr's own resident fsau live-blogger @nicoskarrie aka liane. if you have not checked out her tumblr and read her fsau live-blogs, PLEASE do so. her meme game is incredible. 
> 
> "Fsau Prompt: Nico reacting to the deanoru stans on Twitter"
> 
> anything for you, liane.

Nico opens her phone to a text from Gert—a link to Twitter with no context.

Nico has a Twitter and updates it semi-regularly during the season to post pictures or updates (and occasionally offer opinions that US Figure Skating doesn’t exactly enjoy hearing).

But what she doesn’t do is even begin to wade through her mentions. She learned that the hard way after Rostelecom when fans and journalists were dramatizing her ankle injury as “season-ending” and “an Olympic-sized failure” and one conspiracy theory that it was even another competitor who had somehow injured her (a tired narrative that will never die in skating, apparently).

She’s also been on the receiving end of some odd propositions on Twitter.

Like this one from two weeks ago:

_@clexsah: I WANT @nminoru TO STEP ON MY BODY WHILE SHES WEARING HER SKATES AND DICE ME UP LIKE AN ONION_

Gert sent it to her every morning for four days straight before Nico threatened to block her number.

So now that Gert is sending her a Twitter link with zero context after a round of interviews where she just had to be around Karolina and make awkward commentary about them being friends…Surely, she’s overthinking this.

Nico groans and clicks on the link.

_@nicominorus3axel: okay who else was picking up on those vibes between @karolinadean and @nminoru in the usfs press conference? _

_ @deanorustan32134 replying to @nicominorus3axel: OK but ive been saying this ALL season this is the enemies to friends to lovers shit ive been DREAMING OF_

_ @daddychasestein replying to @nicominorus3axel: what are we calling them? #deanoru? #karonico? discuss. _

Oh.

Oh.

My god.

_NICO MINORU  
What the hell is this?_

Nico paces around the hotel room and doesn’t dare to look through more of the thread until Gert replies.

Is this really what people are seeing?

Do they really think—

Nico’s phone vibrates in her hand.

Gert has only sent back the following: an ice skate emoji, a kissing face emoji, and a heart eyes emoji.

Nico flops down on the bed and re-opens the app.

Surely this is just concentrated to a few crazy fans—stans, she thinks she’s heard Molly call them. The same ones who ship all the ice dancers together. But nothing of that magnitude. No way.

The next tweet is a shortened video clip of one of the interviews, just the part where Karolina talks about them being “around each other all the time.” The one where Nico had felt the need to immediately follow that up and clarify for no reason other than the fact that Leslie was staring daggers at both of them. Not because she thought the entire figure skating fandom was going to catch up on some “big strap energy” that they were apparently laying down. (Someone by the name of @minorustan99’s words, not Nico’s.)

The video is accompanied by a caption, which is completely incomprehensible, as all it says is:

_JHKDGFLKJHKFJHKGJGHJLJDJFSGF _

Nico reads the replies to gain further insight.

_@nicoskarrie: THE PANICKED LOOK ON NICO’S FACE?? HELLO??? WHAT IS GOING ON LADIES WHAT IS GOING ON!!! _

_@nico-and-karolina replying to @nicoskarrie: #deanoru said gay rights_

_@deanorustan32134 replying to @nico-and-karolina and @nicoskarrie: u right #deanoru has a good ring to it we have to stan_

Nico drops her phone onto the floor at the overwhelming bit of knowledge that people care about her and Karolina enough to create a portmanteau for them.

Nico is even more overwhelmed by the fact that she kind of likes the sound of it.

_Deanoru._

It works.

But she immediately starts panicking again when she realizes these anonymous people have somehow picked up on the tension between her and Karolina, and the irrational questions begin.

_Do they somehow know we kissed?_

_Do they somehow know I like her? _

And definitely, the most likely scenario:

_Did Leslie tell them???_

And then Nico wonders if Karolina has somehow seen these, if Gert has antagonized Karolina as well.

Nico picks up her phone again and shoots off a reply to Gert.

_NICO MINORU  
So come clean: are you @daddychasestein?_

The gray text bubble indicating Gert’s response appears almost immediately, as if she has nothing better to do right now. She wonders if Chase is seeing this, if he’s in on this whole thing.

_GERT YORKES_  
HA! Karolina asked me the same  
thing when I showed these to her. So  
cute how you two are thinking alike.

Gert accompanies this with a ridiculous amount of heart emojis.

Naturally, in this situation, the smart solution could be to actually talk to Karolina about it.

Really, the solution to their situation would be to talk to Karolina about anything. Like the fact that they made out yesterday and haven’t spoken about it and have only awkwardly bumped into each other while maneuvering in and out of chairs for press conferences and interviews and did Nico actually _salute _at her at one point?

This is such a mess.

It becomes even more of a mess about twenty minutes later when her mentions are blowing up even faster because apparently Nico has accidentally liked the following:

_@deandynasty: anyway can’t wait until @nminoru and @karolinadean post a ton of cute pics at the Olympics #deanoru #ilovemytwomomsletthemmarry_

She unlikes it immediately, but it appears the damage has been done.

Apparently, the catalyst for getting Nico to talk to Karolina is technology errors, because she suddenly feels the need to explain this one away.

Her phone starts vibrating again, alerting her that Gert wants to FaceTime. She opens the phone to see Gert, Chase, and Molly all laughing and shouting “I LOVE MY TWO MOMS!”

Nico knows she’s blushing now.

“Karolina will never hear about any of this, got it?”


	2. thirst trap

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> prompt from @nicoskarrie: Fsau prompt: Nico reacting to a thirst trap photo shoot of Karolina (like those pics of Tessa Virtue u tortured me with)
> 
> (here's the pic i used for inspiration from ginny's insta because holy fuck y'all: https://www.instagram.com/p/B314r_mnNUf/)
> 
> set sometime between chapter 11 and 12.

Nico props herself against a post on the underside of the pier while Gert, Molly, and Chase walk closer to the shore with their phones in hand, taking pictures.

Nico doesn’t even realize Karolina is snapping selfies next to her. She’s too focused on a Twitter thread about some improbable interaction that some stranger has posted about when Karolina turns to her with her phone.

“Do you think I should post this?”

“Post what?” Nico asks, not looking away from her phone.

Karolina pushes the phone closer to Nico, and Nico actually drops her phone in her lap and gasps.

“Is it too much?” Karolina asks shyly, and Nico turns to the girl next to her to see that Karolina has shrugged off her cardigan, leaving her in a red tank top that leaves very little to Nico’s imagination.

As if the pure shock of the picture in front of her isn’t enough, Nico has the _very real_ thing in front of her.

Nico averts her eyes back to Karolina’s phone—The picture is taken from her shoulders up. Karolina’s hair is blowing in the wind and over her face, lips parted as she…_god_, eye fucks the camera. The look she’s giving can be interpreted as nothing other than sensual, and very unlike most of the fun-loving pictures Karolina usually posts to her Instagram account.

Not that Nico looks all that often.

But she certainly doesn’t remember any pictures of Karolina looking like _that._

Nico’s mouth has begun to go dry when she finally remembers to close her jaw and say something rather than gawk at a picture of her friend. Who she’s totally not attracted to.

They hated each other months ago. That would be crazy.

But when Nico finally looks up at Karolina, she’s giving her the same look she had given the camera on her phone.

And suddenly Nico wants to jump into the ocean to cool off.

Or be anywhere but right next to Karolina because it’s only 65 degrees out at most (_how is she not cold in just a tank top please put the cardigan back on oh my god)_, but she feels like she’s on fire.

Karolina’s only _looking_ at her.

Why does this feel like a complete sensory overload?

Nico finally forces herself to make a sound and hope that some kind of coherent (and appropriate) sentence will come out.

But just as she does, Molly is approaching and asking them what they’re up to.

“I was just asking Nico what she thinks of this picture I took. I want to know if it’s Instagram worthy.”

Thankfully, Karolina leans back out of Nico’s space and offers the phone to Molly, whose eyes widen.

“Dang, Karolina! You look hot!”

The blonde blushes and giggles nervously, clearly unsure of herself suddenly after a few moments of boldness.

It’s what they’ve been doing to each other, this weird pattern they have. A few seconds of confidence that send them both further hurtling toward…something…toward each other maybe, only to retreat.

Sometimes farther apart than where they first started.

“Yeah, it looks really good,” Nico finally answers, and wants to bury her head in the sand when her voice comes out a little breathless.

Karolina locks eyes with Nico again, and Nico is very quickly getting lost in them.

_Fuck, pull it together—_

Nico can’t tell if she’s imagining it, but the look Karolina is giving her is heated and full of something they’re both afraid to name.

“Soooooo…”

It’s Molly who snaps them out of the weird little moment. Both Nico and Karolina whip their heads around to look at Molly, who’s eyeing them both suspiciously.

Karolina clears her throat and (finally) shrugs her cardigan back over her shoulders.

“So I should post it then?” Karolina asks.

Molly grins deviously and looks toward Nico.

“What do you think, Nico?” the younger girl asks.

Nico flounders again, just shrugging.

“I mean, yeah, if you want to,” she stutters out.

Karolina does end up posting it.

Nico knows because she stares at it for a good five minutes later that evening when she gets a notification that she was mentioned in a caption on Instagram.

_karolinadeanofficial: thanks @nicomskating for putting up with me taking selfies on the beach today :)_

It’s then that Nico realizes that Karolina is going to be the death of her only if Leslie doesn’t kill them both first.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i got like five more prompts on tumblr that i'll also be doing and in the mean time, if you have any, please send them on tumblr! killcommander dot tumblr dot com.


	3. may i have this dance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> prompt by @idragonspyro: Everyone (including people from other teams) sneaks out of their rooms to fuck around on the ice. They play music over the speakers and do whatever they want for the night
> 
> set sometime between chapters 14 and 15. turns out everything in this series is gonna be way softer than the fic itself? ajkfhdlksjf 
> 
> the song they're skating to is may i have this dance by francis and the lights. i forgot how much i love this song and then was rewatching 1x09 and it plays in the scene right before ocean eyes and then i gasped and needed to somehow insert it into this fic.

Practice ice is for _practice._

Karolina is well aware of the stupid shit her competitors have gotten into while preparing for Nationals in previous years.

Activities that she has actively avoided in the past. Always the picture perfect representation of Gibborim, of obeying, of being Leslie’s well-behaved daughter who all the young skaters could look up to.

She shudders at the thought of how things used to be.

Sometimes, Karolina wishes she could go back to how things used to be, if for no other reason than to be blissfully ignorant to everything she’s come to realize about her mother, about the undeniable favoritism and the rejection and all the _rules._ Sometimes Karolina wishes she could go back to thinking her mother really did have her best interest at heart.

But then she remembers what she has now—somewhat of a semblance of freedom, a greater acceptance and genuine love of who she is, friends that she actually hangs out with outside of skating…

_Rebelling—What’s it like? _

Now, when Chase informs her that evening practice ice will be followed up at the local rink down the street for private ice time amongst friends, Karolina doesn’t just consider it.

She actually goes.

Which is how she ends up in a local ice rink in San Jose that has multi-colored strobe lights flashing in time to Top 40 hits with several friends and acquaintances skating all around her.

Chase is off holding Gert’s hand as they skate around while Molly dances around with some of the other ice dancers. Alex is using the time to practice his triple axel while Nico jokingly challenges him to see who can land more.

(Karolina refuses to let herself get jealous. She knows logically that Nico and Alex are just friends now.

Knows that it was Karolina right in Nico’s grasp the other night, Karolina’s whose face Nico was holding, and had Molly not interrupted—

But jealousy isn’t something she’s exactly good at controlling.)

So when Karolina glides by them and comes to a sudden stop in a way that sprays both Alex and Nico with a little ice, it’s definitely not because of jealousy.

Definitely not.

The two of them just giggle and take it as a light-hearted joke, thankfully.

Karolina turns back toward Nico for a moment to see Alex trying to get her attention, has to wave his hand in front of Nico’s face to do so.

Because she’s looking at Karolina.

She blushes and keeps skating.

Karolina turns another time a few moments later to see Nico pushing Alex’s shoulder while he laughs and still looks over at Karolina.

The worst part of her thinks that they’re making fun of her.

The hopeful (wishful thinking) part of her wants to live in a world where Alex is teasing Nico about the way she’s looking at Karolina.

Karolina keeps skating around everyone else while they all fit into their groups—it’s how she imagined she’d be at one of these events, even when she was younger. Always the floater, always on the outside looking in, probably able to join any of them without an issue but choosing to observe.

People take turns on someone’s phone hooked up to the speakers to play music—it ranges from all the overplayed figure skating song choices from Firebird to Don Quixote to the A Star is Born soundtrack.

Karolina peers over to where Gert is hanging off Chase’s arm while Molly skates circles around them. She watches and smiles as Nico joins Molly briefly in her antics before gliding over to where Xavin is currently playing DJ, and Nico appears to give them a song request.

Karolina continues to skate around by herself, zoning in and out of people watching and mostly just weaving her way in and out of the crowd. She hears quicker movement coming up on her left and is suddenly greeted by Nico, who’s skated up next to her.

Nico gently bumps her hip into her, and Karolina is pretty sure she might die right here on this ice. And that’ll be it for her. The headline will read something like: _Olympic hopeful dies in tragic gay accident._

How had she actually worked up the courage to almost kiss Nico when she can barely touch her without freaking out right now?

“You’ve looked deep in thought this whole time, you know,” Nico says.

Karolina shrugs, making wider slalom motions if only to keep a little extra distance between her and Nico.

“I’ve never been to one of these before. Just always heard about them after.”

Nico nods thoughtfully as they round one of the ends of the rink.

“So what changed?” she asks.

Karolina makes the mistake of looking over at Nico, who looks back at her, expecting an answer. And Karolina quickly wills herself to pull her eyes away for no other reason than if she’s not careful, she will crash into someone. And honestly, living to tell the tale after having a Nico-related accident would be even more embarrassing. The headline for_ that_ would be: _Grand Prix Final champion and US Nationals favorite suffers season-ending injury due to staring tenderly at teammate._

So instead, Karolina just shrugs.

There’s no way she’s given Nico the satisfaction of knowing that Karolina is mostly here to be with Nico.

She’s not opening herself up to that today.

Because they do this thing where they get in each other’s orbit, and come so close to crashing together—

but they really haven’t talked about that much.

And in the middle of an on-ice party right before Nationals is probably not the time and place for that.

The two fall silent, but Nico stays right near Karolina. Someone else’s song choice ends, and the gentle mid-tempo beat of a new song begins to play.

Nico lets out a contented hum, and Karolina dares to look over at her.

“This is the song I picked,” Nico explains.

Nico sways in time to the music, lightly singing along to the beginning of the song.

Karolina can’t help but giggle, and then gulp down a sudden tightness in her throat when she remembers what happened the last time the two of them skated together like this.

And then in the moment the chorus hits, Nico is whirling herself around so that she’s skating in front of Karolina, mouthing the words, “May I have this dance?”

Nico breaks out in a full grin, and Karolina thinks it might be the freest she’s ever seen Nico. Her heart beats a little out of control as Nico spurts away from Karolina to start an impromptu choreo sequence in the middle of the rink, freestyling through turns and throwing in a spiral back over to Karolina.

Meanwhile, Karolina desperately tries to ignore the lyrics _Can I say something crazy? I love you_ and how everyone in the room can probably see her very openly making heart eyes at Nico.

Nico continues her very dramatic motions around the ice, clearly making it a point to make Karolina laugh, and Karolina wants nothing more than to rush after her and grab her hand and pull her off the ice.

It’s one thing for them to do this when its just the two of them.

But this is dangerous.

As soon as Karolina thinks it, Gert and Chase are passing by, and Gert gives Karolina an excited look and a thumbs up (which thankfully Nico misses).

Karolina keeps watching Nico as she nears Karolina once again, the song coming to its final chorus. Nico skates backwards in front of Karolina again, mouthing along with the words _Give me both your hands_ and reaching out for Karolina to hold onto her.

Karolina reaches out for Nico’s hands and holds on for dear life. Nico steers them in to the center where they slow down, and she pushes Karolina’s arm up so that Nico can do a twirl underneath Karolina’s arm.

“You’re ridiculous,” Karolina says, laughing, because saying that sounds much better than “Oh my god please kiss me” or “I think I’ve had a crush on you for way longer than I’d like to admit.”

“You love me,” Nico responds casually, and she suddenly lets go of Karolina, her eyes getting wide.

Like she realizes what she just said.

Karolina’s mouth opens to say something, to somehow push that back into Nico’s mouth and out of the universe because that’s totally not a road they’re about to go down.

“It, I mean. You love it. Like—”

“Yeah, I totally know what you meant.”

And this is a moment where Karolina actually wishes that Gert or Molly or Chase or _anyone at all_ would interrupt them.

But no one comes, and they’re alone in their little snowglobe at the center of the rink, everyone else on the outside looking in.

It’s sadly one of closest conversations they’ve had at this point about acknowledging this shift between them.

The song ends, and “Fireball” by Pitbull takes it’s place.

“I think I’m gonna go get some water,” Nico says, brushing past Karolina.

They’re terrible at this.

Karolina wonders if the bubble is ever going to burst.


	4. you lift my heart up (when the rest of me is down)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> tumblr anon prompt: don't know if you´re still taking fsau prompts but it would be really cool to see nico's point of view of karolina's perfomance on nationals

She’s ethereal. Other-worldly. Beautiful.

The only good thing about Leslie Dean, Nico decides, is that she’s made it her life’s work to bring every bit of artistry out of Karolina’s bones.

Which has proven to be a lot.

Karolina’s skates carve into the ice with both power and grace, like her legs are painting gentle brush-strokes and leaving a masterpiece on the sheet. Like after she skates, the judges will have to place a sign near it that says “Please Don’t Touch.” Like they’ll frame it and it’ll hang in a museum for generations.

_No, you’re not the light of the world, but you shine on me. _

As Karolina whirls through a combination spin, Nico wonders if her note has anything to do with the way Karolina is putting on the performance of her life, would like to think that Karolina is putting an extra flare into her movements as the words _now I’ve got you in my space, I won’t let go of you_ play over the gentle chords of a piano background.

Karolina skates like she has a story to tell, now more than ever. Karolina skates like she’s trying to convey a message meant only for one person but the world is watching. Karolina skates desperately, elegantly, with a captivating charm. Every inch of her body is involved, engaged in this story.

Nico wonders who the message is for.

And Nico wonders if Karolina kisses the way she skates.

Desperately. Elegantly. With a captivating charm.


	5. leslie

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> fsau prompt if you're up for it: can we peer into leslie's mind a bit? i feel like i may die if i never know what happened between leslie and frank after karo came out and was told to leave
> 
> this was a CHALLENGE and i hope it turned out okay. leslie just really is not great, and frank isn't really that helpful either. 
> 
> definitely some mentions of homophobia/light commentary about homophobia in sport.

Karolina really seems to have a thing about locker rooms, Leslie realizes.

Locker rooms and Nico Minoru, apparently.

It was in a locker room years ago that Karolina introduced herself to a young Nico, and Leslie had to usher her away.

It was in a locker room that Nico had thrown a shoe at the wall in anger a couple of years later when Karolina ended her undefeated streak for the season.

And it was in the Gibborim locker room yesterday that someone had overheard them yelling at each other.

Leslie isn’t quite sure what’s drawn Karolina so tightly to Nico, but she has a fear of what it is.

For as much as Karolina thinks her mother doesn’t notice, for as much as she pretends to look the other way and zero in only on the skating—

Leslie notices.

She sees the charged interactions between Nico and her daughter. She’s seen the way Karolina looks at girls or how her daughter has talked about her close female friends growing up, how she’s always been just a bit too invested.

So on the one hand, it doesn’t surprise Leslie when Karolina tells her.

“But you know what else, mom? I’ve found that there are some parts of me that I can’t change, that I don’t want to change. And I shouldn’t have to just to appease you.”

It doesn’t surprise Leslie the way Karolina had to push herself just to get the words out, the way she could barely look at Leslie or Frank.

“So sorry to shake your idealistic view of what you want me to be—the pretty, obedient girl who grows up and marries someone like Chase—but that’s never gonna happen.”

What surprises Leslie is that she says it at all in the first place. That Karolina—prim, proper, _obedient_ Karolina—is rebelling. That she’s saying it fiercely, with anger, with purpose, and not mumbling the words out and letting them sit while she cowers and waits for a bomb to go off.

Karolina is the bomb going off.

Leslie isn’t even sure that she minds that her daughter is a lesbian.

She might just mind more that it confirms her terrible fear: that Karolina definitely has a crush on Nico. And that Nico is making Karolina…less passive.

And Nico is trouble. Nico represents not following orders and sneaking around and struggling to apply all the potential she has. Nico is complicated and dark and aloof, and surely, that is the last thing Karolina needs right now, right before Nationals. Right before she qualifies for the Olympics. (Because she _will _qualify. She _has_ to.)

“What the hell were you thinking, Leslie?” Frank mumbles when the door slams, and Karolina leaves with a duffle bag in tow, barely looking back at either of them.

He stands, hands shaking, gasping with worry.

She’s not worried about Karolina.

She’s resourceful. She’s smart. She’ll figure it out.

When she tells Frank as much, he doesn’t seem to agree.

“Are you out of your mind? You just kicked our kid out with nowhere to go.”

“She has plenty of friends, Frank. She’ll be fine.”

Frank looks at her like she’s a monster as she keeps a calm, collected tone about the whole thing, still holding her wine glass in one hand and checking her phone with the other.

But Leslie knows she’s not a monster. She’s just doing what’s best for her daughter.

“We’ve talked about this, Leslie.”

And it’s true. They have—young Karolina wasn’t exactly subtle, and both Frank and Leslie picked up early on that their daughter seemed to have much more interest in girls.

And Frank had said that it was no problem—being in Hollywood, he had several gay friends and co-stars. It would be no big deal.

Leslie hadn’t been so sure.

_Lesbian_ didn’t exactly fit the mold of America’s sweetheart ice princess, and while Leslie doesn’t necessarily _mind_—

She’d rather just not have it be something Karolina has to deal with.

Yes.

That’s a great thread, she decides—she doesn’t want Karolina to deal with any negativity or rude comments. It’s really all out of love. That’s what she’ll tell Karolina. She can tell her about Jonah, tell her why relationships between teammates aren’t a good idea, tell her that it certainly isn’t worth it at 18.

Frank acquiesces and leaves the room, just like he always does.

And Leslie? Leslie sits with her wine glass and thinks of the ways she can keep Nico away from her daughter for real this time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> feel free to send prompts at @killcommander on tumblr.


	6. if the fates allow

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> prompt from a tumblr anon: fsau prompt: a cute deanoru christmas moment now that they acknowledge whatever is happening between them
> 
> set during early chapter 16

The holiday decorations still adorn the walls of Gibborim when they return from Nationals.

It’s January, but with Gert gone and things slowed due to the holidays and then the competition, it seems that no one has gotten around to taking down the strings of different colored lights, garland wrapped around railings, decorative snowmen and Santas all over the place and hung on walls.

And mistletoe.

Karolina wonders if it was Gert who’d put it up, but the day after they all return, and Leslie has run off to board meetings, leaving Karolina, Chase, Gert, and Molly seated at a table in the concession area, Karolina spots it.

There’s a couple she’s noticed around the building actually, and Karolina wonders how Leslie hasn’t seen it and demanded it be taken down because surely, that is the last thing she wants at her ice rink after… the locker room.

Nico’s still out on the ice, and Karolina desperately tries to focus on anything else besides the narratives of mistletoe and Nico Minoru running too closely together in her brain.

It becomes nearly impossible.

It’s made even worse when Molly catches Karolina’s eyes dart from the mistletoe hanging in the doorway to the concession stand area and Nico on the ice.

“Think anyone has gotten caught under the mistletoe?” Molly asks the group (but lets her gaze linger on Karolina, like the question is just for her).

“Who even put that up anyway?” Karolina asks as a quick follow-up, afraid that somehow, even though none of them know about what’s happened between her and Nico, that it’ll come tumbling out or that its already obvious, somehow written all over Karolina’s face.

Chase and Molly look to Gert, who puts her hands up defensively.

“What? Like I would take part in some outdated tradition that makes people feel pressured to kiss when they don’t want to? I don’t think so.”

“Sure you didn’t set it up for Karolina and Nico?” Chase quips.

“Chase—” Karolina begins, but suddenly, the door is opening, and Nico is walking through. Any other words die on Karolina’s lips because something about Nico after she’s off the ice, face flushed and breathing heavy, hair a little tousled, is really doing something for Karolina right now.

And as usual, it’s the worst possible timing.

They still haven’t spoken to each other in the couple days they’ve been back, partially because Karolina doesn’t know how to make _I might lose my mind if I don’t get to kiss you again_ into a more coherent, less forward statement.

And mostly because Karolina is deathly afraid that Nico regrets what happened and can’t stop worrying about what Leslie may have said or done (or threaten to do).

Nico gives a quick “hey” to the whole group but doesn’t quite meet Karolina’s eyes.

Nico says something to Chase and starts talking with him and Molly while she stands close to the table, but Karolina isn’t processing a thing she’s saying.

Because now all she can think about is trying to get out of here when that stupid hanging plant is taunting her from the ceiling.

It might be minutes or just a few seconds after that everyone is packing up and heading out of the room. Gert pulls Chase in for a kiss as they pass under while Molly rolls her eyes and mutters “gross.”

Meanwhile, Nico must not notice what’s hanging above and just assumes that Gert and Chase are being particularly affectionate, because even when Karolina tries to speed up to not pass through the door at the same time as Nico, it happens anyway.

And rather than continuing to walk and pretending nothing happened, Karolina stops dead in the doorway, Nico nearly knocking her over.

Karolina looks up, and then back down at Nico, who is looking up with her mouth hanging open.

Karolina can’t breathe, much less get any words out, and she really wants to kiss Nico—just not in front of their friends.

And they should probably talk first.

Molly, Gert, and Chase are all just staring at them with the same wide-eyed look, like they’re looking at a trainwreck and can’t help but keep watching while Karolina’s mouth opens and closes over and over again, and Nico just keeps staring nervously upward.

But Gert must take pity on them both, or the whole situation is giving her secondhand anxiety, because she swoops in and grabs Nico by the face and plants a kiss on her friend’s cheek, and then does the same with Karolina.

“There! Let’s go,” she says, and Karolina sees Nico blush deeply and avoid eye contact with Karolina as they all make their way to the parking lot.

Karolina has trouble sleeping that night thinking about what might have happened had their friends not been around.


	7. sundaes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> tumblr anon prompt: There's only one portion of ice cream left. karo and Nico both wants it. Who gives in?
> 
> set during chapter 18.

Karolina isn’t quite sure how she’s able to get Leslie to agree to letting her hang out with her friends, instead of staying at the rink for another three hours.

She’s even less sure how her mother let her go without asking any follow-up questions about if Nico would also be in attendance.

What Karolina is sure of is that Leslie does not need to know that she and her friends, two and a half weeks away from the Olympics, are eating enough dairy to make them sick for the rest of the evening.

She’ll never need to know.

Karolina walks close to Nico, sharing a few knowing smiles with her when the rest of the group isn’t looking.

Karolina avoids Gert and Molly’s gazes when they turn back to look at the two of them standing too closely as they walk down the street.

She’s still been withholding everything that’s been going on between her and Nico (somehow) from the two of them, despite their attempts to get it out of her as soon as Karolina had left the park and gone back to the Yorkes house.

Karolina had left them with a cryptic “I don’t kiss and tell” that made Gert look like she was about to faint.

Molly had pressed for more, but Karolina had stood firm and told them she didn’t want to talk about it yet.

And for the past few days, that had been working.

For now.

They approach the ice cream shop and already knows what Nico is ordering, goes ahead and orders for her and offers to pay.

Gert’s jaw drops as Karolina does it.

“Can we get two of the brownie sundaes?”

The employee frowns back at Karolina and says, “Oh, we actually only have enough left for one.”

Damn.

Karolina turns toward Nico, who gives her a grimace and a shrug that shows she’s unsure of how to proceed.

“Okay, the rest of you guys go first,” Karolina replies, ushering herself and Nico to the back of the line.

But not before everyone hears Molly call out, “You two could always just share one.”

Nico glares at Chase, who’s trying (and failing) to hold back a grin.

“I think that’s a great idea,” Gert adds.

“Go order,” Nico mutters to the rest of the group, before turning back to Karolina. 

“You can have it. It’s not a big deal.”

Karolina shrugs and replies, “No, you can. It’s fine.”

Nico groans, but Karolina can see the playful spark behind Nico’s eyes that tells her she isn’t completing hating this.

“I can get something else. Like the…”

Nico trails off as she looks up at the menu, trying to find something else to get. She grimaces again.

“Nico.”

“Well, I’m not sharing it with you.”

Karolina raises an eyebrow. She’s not above sharing. Karolina almost wishes they would. It’d be…cute.

A gross, annoying couple-y thing to do.

Karolina wants that.

Even if she hasn’t told Nico that.

Maybe a sundae is the way to do it?

“Not because of the satisfaction it would give Gert and Molly, but because I’m really hungry.”

Karolina frowns and nods at Nico, who turns away to look at the menu again.

“I’ll just get something else,” Nico replies sadly, clearly still stuck on wanting her sundae.

Karolina peers back up at the menu and gets an idea.

“Hang on.”

Karolina walks back up to the counter and leaves a confused Nico behind.

“Hi, can I get one of the brownie sundaes and a chocolate chip cookie dough cone?”

Suddenly, a sputter Nico is standing beside her.

“Chocolate chip cookie—that’s not what I was going to order.”

“I know. But it’s what I was going if I didn’t get the sundae. So looks like the sundae is yours.”

Karolina smiles down at Nico, who’s narrowing her eyes in faux anger, shaking her head as Karolina hands her credit card over.

“At least let me pay you back.”

Karolina smirks.

“Nope.”

“I’m Venmo-ing you anyway.”

“I’ll decline it.”

The cashier hands the sundae and cone to Karolina, who smiles gratefully and hands the sundae to Nico, who takes it with a roll of her eyes.

“Then we’re coming back here another time, and I’m getting you one,” Nico offers as they sit down at the table with Gert, Molly, and Chase.

Karolina doesn’t miss the way Molly’s eyes light up.

“Sounds like a date,” Molly says in a sing-song voice.

“I can’t believe I’m watching LGBT history unfold right before my eyes,” Gert quips before taking a sip of her shake.

Karolina tries to suppress a laugh.

“Shut up,” Nico mutters around a mouthful of brownie.

“Better post something on Instagram for the fans to see,” Chase jokes, pulling out his phone and turning the camera toward Karolina and Nico.

And as much as Karolina would secretly love that, would love to have a picture of this out there for the whole world to see, she remembers Leslie.

“Don’t you dare!” Karolina yells, knocking Chase’s phone out of his hand and almost into his ice cream.

Another time.

They can take a picture together another time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> god they're so gay


End file.
